Travis Head Makes History: First Player to Reach Milestone Number of Man of the Match Awards in World Test Championship

Travis Head has etched his name in World Test Championship (WTC) history, becoming the first player to secure 10 Man of the Match awards. This milestone was achieved after his impressive performance in both innings of the first Test against the West Indies, leading Australia to a 159-run victory in the three-match series opener.

Travis Head celebrates his performance against West Indies

On a challenging pitch that tested both batting lineups, Head scored 59 in the first innings and followed it up with 61 in the second. Australia were initially bowled out for 180 before restricting the West Indies to 190. Australia then posted 310 in their second innings before dismissing West Indies for 141 to secure the victory and take a 1-0 lead in the series.

His crucial contributions came at pivotal moments. His first-innings half-century helped Australia post a competitive total, while his second-innings knock aided the team's recovery from a shaky 61-4 position.

The Australian middle order also played a significant role. Beau Webster contributed 63 runs, and Alex Carey added 65, helping Australia establish a decisive lead.

Head's achievement places him significantly ahead of his peers in terms of Man of the Match awards in the WTC. Ben Stokes and Joe Root are tied for second place with five awards each, followed by Harry Brook with four.

The left-handed batsman has consistently performed well in the World Test Championship. He currently stands as Australia's fourth-highest run-scorer in the competition, amassing 3199 runs in 50 matches. His record includes eight centuries and 15 half-centuries, placing him behind Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, and Usman Khawaja.

Furthermore, Head achieved another milestone by becoming the fourth batsman to hit 400 fours in the World Test Championship. He reached this mark in 83 innings, joining an elite group that includes Joe Root (576 fours in 119 innings), Marnus Labuschagne (476 fours in 96 innings), and Steve Smith (443 fours in 91 innings).

During the post-match presentation, Head commented: "I would have liked to score a bit more, missed out on a few runs. The communication was important, the conditions were tricky and we did exceptionally well to get to 300 on that surface. I was more positive on Day 1 when the game was up for the taking, last night I was desperate to end the day unbeaten, momentum was the key over here, we wanted to build a partnership, we were slow, but it worked out well (on his stand with Beau Webster)."

Head also acknowledged Webster's valuable contribution: "He has played a great deal of FC cricket, has got experience in all conditions and situations. You tend to do well then and he took the responsibility."

The Australian batter expressed his disappointment about his performance in the World Test Championship final but was pleased to contribute to the team's victory against West Indies. "I try to contribute every time I go out there, was disappointed at not making runs at Lords (in the WTC final) despite my good form, was nice to get runs and contribute to the team victory here," Head added.